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 the beginning of the downfall Apr 06, 2007
The first 3 "OC" mixes (1,2, and 4, i don't count the christmas one) were all brilliant soundtracks filled with just a small fraction of the music featured on the show. Although I didn't always agree with the song choices as the best from the show, it was very rare when I disliked one of them. The same does not hold true with "Mix 5", which features at least 3 bad songs, several others that are rather mediocre, and very few tracks that I can clearly recall from the show. This is perhaps because with the 3rd season of "The OC", the writing became less memorable, and I suppose with it, so did the songs. Budget for music was also obviously decreased from the second season, as the number of bands that performed on the show dropped from half a dozen to one or two.
The disc opens with "Rock & Roll Queen" by The Subways (one of the only bands to perform during the season) and Kasabian's "Reason Is Treason", a pair of upbeat songs, both of which are good but not great. "Rock & Roll Queen" declines into an irritating screaming finale, but is still remarkably catchy, but "Reason Is Treason" wears thin rather quickly. "Wish I Was Dead Pt. 2" by the Shout Out Louds is a slightly better acoustic song with an instantly memorable chorus.
"Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" by LCD soundsystem is absolutely excrutiating, involving no singing or musicality whatsoever, and "Kids With Guns" from the gorillaz is no better. "Requiem For O.M.M." by Of Montreal, is slightly better, but no less irritating and sickly boring.
But within these throwaway tracks there is still hidden some true gems. Rogue Wave's publish my love is brilliant indie-pop, and Youth Group's cover of "Forever Young" is simply gorgeous, marking itself as a true "OC" staple. The end of the album is a true tour-de-force, made up of 4 great tracks. The Kaiser Chief's offer up "Na Na Na Na Naa", which despite its nonsense lyrics is the exact brand of indie rock that made "The OC" famous in the first place. Phantom Planet's acoustic take on their theme song with "California 2005" was the first memorable song to be played in season 3 and therefore deserves a place here.
The other two tracks are some of the most brilliant on the album. Stars' "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" is a gorgeous indie ballad marked by excellent lyrics and beautiful vocal harmonies from the two singers (one male one female). The soundtrack closes as it should with Imogen Heap's epic "Hide & Seek", one of the most memorable songs ever played on "The OC" from the shocking season 2 finale, this one truly belongs in "The OC" hall of fame. Since it was used on the show, the song has become very well known for its tight nit vocal arrangement. One listen will reveal why this song is so well loved among fans: because it sounds like nothing else you've ever heard of, something only "The OC" could introduce.
In the end, the album is saved by the strength of its second half (with the help of a few tracks from the first). The highlights manage to overcome the low points to create what was the last good "OC" soundtrack. It may be one of the weakest, but it still contains some must hear gems.
Many good songs Jan 11, 2007
"Forever Young", "Rock & Roll Queen" and "Hide and Seek" are my favourite songs.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Not your regular TV Series Soundtrack! Mar 04, 2006
I love watching the show and love even more that I can listen to the music anytime I want. I was watching some special features from the first season and they had this 'music of the oc' feature; and what I really like about the music selection process is that it's selected based on the emotions and feelings of a particular scene, not just whats on the 'pop charts' at the moment and who wants to pay out tv show to have it aired even though it has nothing to do with the scene! The OC music really connects you with the show and it's a CD that you won't just listen to for a few weeks and put away.
0 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Just like the show... Jan 14, 2006
Reflecting the show upon which these mixes hail from, The OC: Mix 5 has completely strayed from what these CDs once were. This album is inconsistently decent at its best. It's a real shame because I had very high hopes for this one, since the only two tracks I went in knowing were Youth Group's "Forever Young" and Phantom Planet's "California 2005," both of which are amazing songs, but can be purchased on iTunes for less than a dollar apiece. "Rock and Roll Queen" by The Subways is a good enough opening track; it's quite catchy. However, tracks 2-5 all fall flat and are highly uninteresting. I'd say the worst is "Publish My Love" by Rogue Wave, which sounds like a bad U2 cover of some sort. "Kids With Guns" is a pretty good track, but only for those of us who are Gorillaz fans. It wouldn't be surprising for the average listener to dismiss this as a boring track. Simply put, the first (nearly) half of this CD is garbage. The second half, from track 6 onward, is pretty good, but it's still not the mix 1-4 were. I can spin the first four mixes all night long. I'm gonna find myself reaching past this one on the stack whenever I feel the need to listen to an OC soundtrack.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Not "Right Back Where We Started From" Jan 05, 2006
As a big fan of the OC & its subsequent soundtracks - I'm sad to say that the show has gone downhill a bit since its first season. Does that mean the soundtracks have as well? Well in this case - a little bit, but it's not exactly the music director's fault. The best part of the first mix of the OC, and even the second, was that the songs represented key moments of the show - where the song & scene were so memorable the two were forever tied in your mind (ex: South's Paint the Silence is Marissa & Ryan's first kiss song). As the show gets less memorable - so do the songs, but that doesn't mean this isn't a great album regardless.
If you're going for a bit of a rocker vibe, then tune into one of the best songs on the album, The Subways ultra-catchy "Rock and Roll Queen". Kasabian's "Reason is Treason" provides a good follow-up, while the Kaiser Chiefs track is a good mid-album rock break. For a more alternative indie vibe, tune into the dreamy "Wish I Was Dead" or the soaring "Publish My Love".
Every soundtrack has a few songs that maybe aren't quite as great, and this album is no exception. "Daft Punk is Playing at my House" goes on wayyyy too long, despite it's catchy beat, and quickly grows tired. For a better funky alternative listen to the wicked track by the Gorillaz, "Kids with Guns". Youth Group's "Forever Young" is just kind of cheesy - and correct me if I'm wrong but featured in Napoleon Dynamite? It just doesn't suit. "Requiem for Omm" is a Beatles take-off, but it's a sound that's been beat into the ground.
The stand-outs? Probably the last three tracks. Stars "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" is an awesome string-arranged duet, and although I don't remember the scene I had downloaded it ages ago when it aired on an episode cause I liked the song. "California 2005" was of course featured in one of the first episodes of Season 3, when Ryan and Marissa get kicked out of Harbour at the Kick-Off Carnival, and features a cool new take on an old favourite (the theme song). Finally Imogen Heap's awesome dream-like synthesized song "Hide and Seek" provides a nice round-up to the end of the album. Many of you might remember it as the track playing during Caleb's funeral at the end of Season 2.
All in all a good mix - not as strong as the others, but a must-have for any OC fan, or anyone looking to discover some new fave artists.
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